Watchmen on the Walls

Watchmen on the Walls is an international evangelical ministry based in Riga, Latvia. It describes itself as "the international Christian movement that unites Christian leaders, Christian and social organizations and aims to protect Christian morals and values in society."[1] According to a Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) Intelligence report the group's name derives from the Old Testament book of Nehemiah, in which the "watchmen" guard the reconstruction of Jerusalem.[2] "The cities they guard over today, say the contemporary Watchmen, are being destroyed by homosexuality."[2]

Watchmen on the Walls is listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which considers it "a virulently anti-gay group".[4] Being listed on SPLC's website "does not necessarily imply a group advocates or engages in violence or other criminal activity."[10] Leaders of the Watchmen on the Walls movement insist "they do not hate gays — or anyone else."[4] The SPLC states, "In Latvia, the Watchmen are popular among Christian fundamentalists and ethnic Russians, and are known for presiding over anti-gay rallies where gays and lesbians are pelted with bags of excrement."[2] According to the SPLC the Watchmen have a following among Russian-speaking evangelicals in the Western U.S. among immigrants from the former Soviet Union and members are increasingly active in several cities "long known as gay-friendly enclaves", including Sacramento, Seattle, and Portland.[2]